


In Kingsman's Court

by MHMoony



Category: Baby Driver (2017), Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, eggsy has a racing buddy, everyone lives bc i say so, kingsman fambam bonding, merlin cares and is confused, pure self indulgence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-31
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-27 08:55:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,652
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12578188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MHMoony/pseuds/MHMoony
Summary: "Baby.""B-a-b-y. Baby.""Alright, Baby. Welcome to Kingsman."----The Kingman/Baby Driver crossover that no one asked for.





	In Kingsman's Court

**Author's Note:**

> A million and forever thanks to AgentStannerShipper for being my beta for this. I love you so very much, my friend <3
> 
> This is what happens when a brief mention in how fun it would be to have Baby and Eggsy race around Kingsman and give Merlin a headache spirals out of control.

“Baby,” Merlin said, almost unsure as to whether or not he heard correctly.

He quirked a brow at the young man in front of him. When Harry told him they were taking in someone from Statesman for the next two months, Merlin assumed Tequila or the newly appointed Whiskey would be the ones to join them across the pond. The last person he expected to walk off the Statesman aeroplane was a calm and mild-mannered young man—probably around Roxy and Eggsy’s age—who constantly had headphones in his ears and a pair of sunglasses on his face, and insisted on people addressing him as Baby. He didn’t remember ever seeing him whilst at Statesman, but then again, Merlin had spent a majority of his time holed up in their labs with the then-Ginger Ale.

“Baby,” the young American repeated. “B-a-b-y. Baby.”

Not much of a talker, Merlin noticed, but of course, that probably wouldn’t stop Eggsy from pulling him into conversation and having enough words for the both of them. Baby was certainly an interesting character, and Merlin wondered what life at Kingsman would do for him.

“Alright, Baby,” Merlin said, the word feeling unnatural falling out of his mouth, “welcome to Kingsman.”

—

Calm and mild-mannered. What a load of shite.

Merlin could already feel the headache coming on. He arrived at the newly built Kingsman estate only to hear the unmistakeable sounds of screeching tires and revving engines, and was only slightly surprised to see two Kingsman cabs wreaking havoc across the grounds instead of just one. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose in an attempt to stop the creeping frustration that would undoubtedly make itself known soon before sighing and turning on the tablet of his clipboard.

Taking control of both of the cabs, Merlin directed them to come to a screeching halt directly in front of him. Eggsy and Baby got out and walked towards him.

“Come on, bruv, that wasn’t cool,” Eggsy said.

Merlin resisted the urge to roll his eyes. “How many times are you going to steal these cabs from us, exactly?”

“But we didn’t steal ‘em, we’re still on the grounds!”

“Yes, and how did you get the authorization to take them out on the grounds?”

Eggsy immediately shut his mouth, but Merlin noticed the smallest smirk appear on Baby’s face. How could he even hear what they were saying with those headphones blasting in his ears? Neither of them answered, but Merlin wasn’t expecting one. Eggsy was known for and prided himself in his ‘no snitching’ policy, and Baby…well, Merlin didn’t quite know what to make of him yet. As he opened his mouth to reprimand them more, he heard Harry call him through his glasses.

“Merlin, darling, no need to berate the boys. I opened the garage for them.”

Merlin tried to ignore the obvious glee and amusement in Harry’s voice and turned his attention back to Eggsy and Baby.

“You two. Bring those back into the garage. Now.”

The two of them shared a look before hopping back into the cabs and revving their engines.

“Bet I can beat you there!” Eggsy called from the open window.

“In your dreams, _bruv_ ,” Baby replied while scrolling through his iPod.

Merlin opened his mouth to tell them to not race the cabs recklessly back into the estate, but Harry once again interrupted him.

“Watch and enjoy the show, love. And pay attention to Baby. He’s…quite interesting.”

His irritation only rose the smallest touch, but Merlin remained silent and did as Harry suggested. Baby was scrolling through songs on his iPod, looking as though he were trying to decipher which to race to. Whether that was due to some sort of deeper meaning and need or simply dramatic effect, Merlin wasn’t sure. Based off his seemingly endless pairs of sunglasses and laissez-faire demeanor, though, he suspected it might be the latter. A smile appeared on Baby’s face as he ripped his headphones off, connecting his music to the cab’s speakers, and all of a sudden, sounds of marching footsteps and a heavy guitar boomed from inside the Kingsman cab.

“Oh, yes, Baby,” Eggsy exclaimed, clearly pleased by Baby’s choice of song.

But they still didn’t move. Merlin tried not to furrow his brow.

“Just wait,” Harry’s voice said in his ear.

And then, a rather complex drum break blasted, Baby pointed at Eggsy, and the two were off, guitar riffs and a voice calling for the fall of the establishment racing with them. Merlin blinked in confusion.

“Did…did he just—”

“Wait for the perfect moment in ‘Holidays in the Sun’ by the Sex Pistols to speed away in a cinematic fashion? Yes, absolutely.”

Merlin shook his head as he watched the two black cars try to outperform each other. It really was quite impressive, and Baby did seem to have a leg up against Eggsy when it came to tricks. He hadn’t even been at Kingsman for twenty-four hours and was already throwing Merlin for a loop. At first glance, he thought the boy would be a Percival, and he ended up with a James. The realization almost made Merlin laugh. Eggsy and Baby, Harry and James. Strutting peacocks in their own rights.

“Finally giving up on your defense of the Clash then, Harry?” Merlin teased into his earpiece as he began to walk back towards the estate, knowing Harry was still there.

Harry huffed, almost insulted. “We’ve been disagreeing over this for nearly four decades now, Merlin, and I shan’t change my mind that Johnny Rotten can take Joe Strummer any day.”

—

Merlin was in his office tinkering with a set of car keys (the multiple buttons on the remote to be meant for different uses) when he heard a knock on his door. He called for whoever it was to enter, and looked up to see Eggsy.

“Hello, Eggsy,” he greeted as he returned to his work. “What can I do for you?”

Eggsy walked over to his desk and gestured to the seat sitting on the opposite side of him. “Is it okay if I sit?”

Merlin stopped himself from smiling, knowing that not even a year ago, he wouldn’t have asked. Merlin didn’t really mind either way since it was Eggsy, but he wasn’t about to stop him from practicing his manners. Harry would kill him. “Of course.”

He sat, but said nothing. Merlin continued to poke and prod the at the small remote, waiting patiently for Eggsy to begin talking. However, when he was still met with silence, Merlin put aside his tools, looked up, and was surprised to see Eggsy looking a bit nervous. Concern began to creep into Merlin’s head. “Is everything okay, Eggsy?”

“Yeah, yeah,” Eggsy waved off, “everything’s alright.”

Still nothing. “Right. So what brings you to my office today?”

“What? Can’t a bloke visit his friend at work?”

Merlin gave him an unconvinced stare.

Eggsy sighed. “Yeah, alright, maybe there is something.” He took a moment before continuing. “I know that you gave Baby his Kingsman glasses the other day, but I was wondering, do you think you could maybe make him sunglasses?”

Merlin didn’t even try to mask his utter confusion at this strange question. It wasn’t that he was annoyed by such a request, it was just…odd.

“Why?”

“I know this is gonna sound weird, but I think he’s more comfortable when people can’t see his eyes. That’s why he wears sunglasses all the time. At first, I thought it was just a cool aesthetic he was going for, but I really think it’s something else.”

Merlin considered Eggsy’s words. It wasn’t that it would be difficult for him to make them, and it certainly wouldn’t take long. But it seemed as though with every passing day, he came to find something more and more curious about this young American they had offered to take on.

“Okay,” he said. “Tell him he can pick them up here at 1700 hours.”

Eggsy beamed as he got up to leave. “Thanks, Merlin, you’re the guv’nor.”

As the door clicked shut, Merlin was left with his tools, a beginnings of a new set of frames, and his thoughts. How did this kid even become a Statesman recruit? Where did he learn to drive the way he did? Why was he always blasting music in his ears? Maybe he’d ask Whiskey to send him over more in-depth files of him. Merlin finished making the bespoke Kingsman glasses within the hour and set them aside in his drawer for Baby to pick up later.

Right on the dot, Baby walked in sans glasses but still with his ever present earbuds blasting whatever music he was listening to. Merlin greeted him and pulled the tinted shades out from his drawer.

“Here you are,” he said handing them over. “Don’t worry, these work exactly like the others.”

The smallest smile appeared on Baby’s lips as he adjusted the new frames to his face. “Thanks, Merlin.” And then he left without another word.

Between the lack of vocal use and the loud songs constantly ringing in his ears, Merlin marveled at how Eggsy seemed to get to know Baby so well and so quickly. But then he remembered his words from earlier.

_I think he’s more comfortable when people can’t see his eyes._

Eggsy really was far more observant than people gave him credit for. It was times like these where Merlin could truly see Harry in the young Galahad.

—

It had been a miracle that they found Roxy (and her uncles elsewhere) after the first Kingsman estate was decimated to the ground, but Merlin was nothing if not prepared, and Roxy nothing if not efficient. She was clever, quick, and smart, so Merlin was not at all surprised (but still so incredibly relieved) when he saw the faintest signal coming from the inside of one of their blast shelters amongst the rubble of their former headquarters.

She didn’t come out unscathed—bumps and bruises, dislocated shoulder, all healed in time—but perhaps the most life altering for her was completely losing her hearing in her left ear. It was disorienting, she had told Merlin, suddenly going deaf in one ear. She tried to put on a brave face as always, but Merlin could see the frustration and small bit of fear in her eyes during some trying moments.

Once was when she was talking with him in the shop, and Eggsy walked over and stood on Roxy’s left side. It took two minutes before she realised Eggsy was there, and the small scream and jump his sudden appearance caused embarrassed her to no end.

A second time was when she was sitting through a briefing in the dining room with himself and Harry. In the middle of Harry explaining the more general details of her mission, Roxy interrupted him and apologetically asked if he could possibly speak a bit louder.

And when she came to Merlin one day in the labs and almost tearfully asked if her hearing loss meant she would have to step down as Lancelot, he knew he had to do something.

So he went into heavy research about hearing aids and cochlear implants, and went about seeing if he could create one especially for Roxy that was less bulky and not as noticeable.

It took a few weeks, but Merlin finally was able to build a prototype for a hearing aid that didn’t require any surgical implants. He went out to seek Roxy and found her in the estate’s library, but was surprised to find her with company.

She and Baby (without any tinted shades resting on the bridge of his nose nor headphones anywhere in sight) were sitting on the sette having a conversation, but it wasn’t their voices they were using to communicate.

Merlin cleared his throat and Baby and Roxy turned their heads to the door. “Hello, you two. I hope I’m not interrupting.”

Roxy smiled and shook her head. “Not at all. Baby’s been teaching me sign language the last few weeks, Merlin, to help me with my…well, you know.”

Merlin’s brows raised in surprise. “Has he now?”

Baby shrugged. “I mean, it’s American sign language, so I don’t know how useful it’ll be over here.”

“Being able to communicate in any language is an asset to an agent,” Merlin said. “Well done, Baby.”

He turned his head away at the compliment, but Merlin thought he at least looked a little pleased with himself. “Before I forget,” he walked over to Roxy and gave her the small box that contained the first trial of her hearing aids, “I made this for you, Roxy. It’s just a prototype, but it’s a hearing aid.”

Baby’s head shot up, his brows furrowed in concern.

Roxy took the device with a wide smile. “Oh, my god, thank you, Merlin, you really didn’t have to—”

“No, you really didn’t.” Baby’s voice was hard and steely, and Merlin was surprised at his tone.

Roxy looked at him confused. “Nonsense, this will be able to make me hear again, I’ll be able to go back to being the agent I was before.”

“Your hearing loss doesn’t make you a lesser agent. You can do anything you did before without that thing. Better, even.”

Merlin narrowed his eyes, insulted that someone would ever accuse him of thinking someone is lesser because of their disability, least of all Roxy, an agent he trained.

“Roxy hasn’t lost any of her skill or ability. It’s a gift, something to make her more comfortable, should she want it.” He turned back to Roxy, his eyes softening. “You don’t need to use it. After that talk we had a few weeks ago, I just thought I’d make one just in case. You’re fully capable of everything you were able to do before Poppy came and blew everything up.” He glanced at Baby for a split second. “Better, even.”

He gave Roxy a brief smile and nodded his head at Baby before turning and leaving.

As he walked down the hall, Merlin was left with an unsettling feeling in his gut. He definitely did not want to spend the rest of the day in this upset mood, so he pressed a finger to the side of his glasses to call the one person who could make him feel better even on his darkest days. “Harry, are you there?”

“It’s Arthur during work hours,” a voice teased.

“That’s certainly not what you had me calling you during work hours last week.”

“Mm, I suppose that was a special occasion.”

Merlin chuckled, the tension in his shoulders releasing at Harry’s smooth voice. “So you wouldn’t care for another round of special occasions, would you?”

There were a few moments of silence before Harry came back over the comms. “I’ll meet you in your office in two minutes.”

—

How did he end up here?

Merlin was sitting in the lefthand side of one of Kingsman’s old Ercoupe 415 aircrafts with Baby taking the seat next to him, taxiing the small plane before flying up into the air.

When Baby approached him asking if he could teach him how to pilot and aircraft, Merlin foolishly thought he wasn’t being serious. So he agreed, not thinking that the request would ever come to fruition. Lo and behold, Baby came into Merlin’s office the following day to say he was ready for his lessons, and here they were now.

Baby picked which aeroplane he wanted to try out, and Merlin was pleasantly surprised to see him pick the Ercoupe 415. 1943 model, of course, right out of World War II. When Merlin found it sitting idly in the hangar some thirty-odd years ago, he made it his personal pet project and continued to upgrade it throughout the years to keep the technology up with the times, but the aesthetic of it still in the days of Kingsman’s beginnings. So it touched him a bit that Baby would choose this specific aircraft, even if he didn’t know the significance of it.

They were up in the air with Merlin explaining all the different buttons and levers when he realized what was missing.

“No music today, then?” he called through the comms.

Baby shook his head, his specially made Kingsman sunglasses glinting in the sun. “Don’t need it up here. It’s loud enough already.”

Baby said nothing else, and Merlin didn’t push. Whatever baggage he carried was his prerogative, not Merlin’s. They spent the rest of the flight in companionable silence, other than the occasional instruction or question. When they finally touched down again and the noise of the engine and propellor died down, Baby turned to Merlin and looked at him curiously.

“You never asked me why I listen to music all the time.”

Merlin shrugged. “I believe that’s your business and not mine. As long as you can do as instructed, then you can play guitar during training for all I care.” The last part was a joke, and Merlin genuinely hoped the boy took it as one, but Baby was a bit of a wild card to him, never knowing what his exact reactions were ever going to be.

Baby took out his headphones from his pocket and put one in, offering the other to Merlin. Curious, he took it and placed it in his ear, only to hear the unmistakable sounds of ‘O-O-H Child’ by the Five Stairsteps. It was a song he knew from his youth, of course, always blaring on the radio.

“I was in an accident when I was a kid,” Baby began. “Ringing’s been in my ears ever since. The music blocks it out, though.”

“That explains why that engine bang didn’t phase you, then.” Merlin took out the earbud and handed it back to him.

“Kids these days,” Baby smirked, as though he were the only one in on an inside joke, “they just don’t get scared like they used to.”

He hopped out of the plane and began to walk away, putting the second earbud in place. “See you for another lesson tomorrow, Merlin.”

Merlin watched him walk off, curious as to what prompted this glimpse into Baby’s life. And if Merlin spent the rest of the afternoon in his office researching tinnitus and creating diagrams for a device that could silence the noise, then that was his business.

—

Harry came home with a grin on his face. Merlin did not trust that grin.

“And why do you look so pleased with yourself?” he said from his spot on the sofa where he was reading.

“Not pleased with _myself_ , darling,” Harry replied as he took a seat next to him, resting his arm behind Merlin on the back of the couch.

Merlin snorted as he set his book aside. “That’s a first.”

Harry flicked his ear with the hand that was behind him. “No need to be rude. I just happened to have a rather nice conversation in the shop with Baby before I left.”

Merlin’s interest piqued. “Oh, really now?”

“Yes,” Harry nodded, the grin reappearing on his face. “He said he liked my glasses.”

It shouldn’t have been a big deal, someone complimenting Harry’s glasses. But Merlin knew this was different. While much more comfortable than the eyepatch (though that didn’t stop Harry from wearing it anyway on multiple occasions), Harry was a little self-conscious about wearing his single-shaded lense. He was never one to shy away from attention, but the particular stares he got on the streets with these spectacles lingered a bit too long for his liking, so any affirmation that Harry could get for his one-eyed aesthetic was a blessing.

It warmed Merlin’s heart to know that it was Baby who had complimented Harry, but he didn’t know why.

The next morning, Baby came into his office to ask if he could also have a pair of Kingsman glasses made like Harry’s (“But I think I like the kind of frames you have, Merlin”). Merlin grumbled about how he wasn’t Iris Optical. That didn’t stop him from having them ready for pickup the following day.

—

Merlin was getting his files ready to bring down to the handler’s wing when Baby came into his office.

“Ready for another flight lesson, Merlin?”

“Knock first,” he said without looking up. It’s become a routine these past few weeks. Merlin would be at his desk, Baby would walk in unannounced, and Merlin would remind him to knock before entering. He never did. “And I’m sorry, Baby, but I’m needed as a handler today.”

He shut down his computer and monitors and got up from his desk chair, and was able to catch the smallest glimpse of disappointment wash over Baby’s face. He was wearing the one-shaded lense glasses he requested only a couple days prior. A twinge of guilt pricked at Merlin’s chest, and was about to apologize again when Baby cut him off.

“No, yeah, that’s alright.” Baby’s previously eager face switched from disappointed to indifferent in less than a second, and it didn’t sit right with Merlin to just let him go. “I’ll see you around then.”

“You can come down to the handler’s division with me. If you’d like, of course. It’s not the flight training I promised you, but it still might be of some interest.”

It was almost a pity of an excuse, really. He could have had Harry, James, Percival, Roxy, almost anyone take over his piloting lessons (not Eggsy. He wasn’t about to entrust Eggsy and Baby to take reckless joyrides with Kingsman aircrafts after repeatedly catching them with the taxis), but for a reason Merlin couldn’t quite place, he wanted to be one to take him up in the sky.

Merlin saw the briefest bit of excitement light up the one exposed eye behind Baby’s glasses, but it quickly shifted to nonchalance. “Yeah, that sounds cool.”

—

“Lancelot, take a left at the end of the corridor, but be careful. I see three thugs. All armed. The exit is right past them, and the extraction team will be waiting for you five metres across from the north side of the building.”

Merlin saw the slightest tilt coming through Roxy’s feed as she acknowledged, and proceeded to take down the three (rather large) armed men with not much difficulty. She made it out of the structure, and Merlin waited until she was safely in the getaway vehicle before relaxing.

“Well done, Lancelot. See you when you’re back on soil.”

Merlin saw her feed begin shifting until she was holding her glasses in front of her face. “Thanks for keeping me safe, Merlin.” Roxy waved to him with a smile. “See you soon.”

Merlin smiled fondly as her feed went dead. If something were to go wrong, she’d contact him right away. He swiveled in his chair to see Baby sitting next to him, eyes (well, eye) shifting back and forth between the now blank screen and the lit up controls in front of them. Merlin raised an eyebrow. Interesting. He thought he’d pegged Baby as a field agent, what with him traipsing about the manor and grounds the way he does with Eggsy, but that look…he knew that look. That was the look of a tech. Perhaps not a handler, but then again, Baby had caught him by surprise before. Merlin watched as his gaze landed on him.

“So…you call the shots here?”

Merlin shrugged. “I suppose you could say that. Harry—ah, Arthur, that is, is the one who assigns missions and how he’d prefer to have them done. I follow orders and make sure our agents make it back home.”

“But you literally just told Roxy what to do for two hours.”

“Just following orders,” he repeated. “What we do down here as handlers is important. Vital, even. Without us, those out on the field would be blind. We do our best because it’s the only choice we have. It’s less calling the shots and more taking care of our own.”

Baby’s eyes furrowed at that, almost as though he were trying to decipher him. Merlin was not a fan of being under such scrutiny, but remained patient as ever.

“You’re a lot nicer than Doc.” Baby paused, considering his next few words carefully. “Not that Doc wasn’t nice sometimes. But everything he did was so he could gain something. You do it because you care.”

There wasn’t any judgement when he spoke, Merlin noticed. He spoke in a way that made Merlin feel as though he were simply stating fact and nothing more.

“I don’t remember ever meeting Doc at Statesman.”

Baby let out a small laugh, but there was very little humour in it. “Doc wasn’t from Statesman. Not by a long shot. He was…my previous boss.”

“Not a very good one, I assume.”

“No, he was, for the most part. He kept his promises, I guess.”

And then, Baby removed his glasses and earbuds. Merlin didn’t know what to make of it. He always had those placed perfectly, like his own armour that shielded him from the world. Merlin could relate, of course, with using his clipboard as a physical barrier between himself and those he didn’t know. He couldn’t remember a time over the past few weeks he hadn’t seen or interacted with Baby without one or the other firmly in place, and Merlin tried not to seek some deeper meaning behind it. However, there was that one little voice in the back of his mind that kept prodding him to think otherwise.

“You seem pretty torn over how to feel about this Doc,” Merlin said.

Baby shrugged. “He helped me out in the end. Tried to, at least.”

Merlin didn’t know what to make of this conversation. It was the most amount of dialogue he and Baby had ever exchanged in one sitting, and he found he quite enjoyed it. His company was a comfortable one, and Merlin was pleased to see he was finding his place within the organization. Of course, Baby wouldn’t be staying with Kingsman. Merlin chose to ignore the oddly upset feeling he got in his chest at that thought.

“Is he how Statesman found you, then?”

“Uhm, not directly, no.”

Merlin saw the apprehension begin to form on Baby’s features. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to,” he reassured.

“No,” Baby said almost immediately. “I wanna tell you. I just…” He looked uncomfortable again, like when he first arrived at Kingsman and Eggsy made it his sole mission to befriend him by making conversation with the boy at every given moment. It wasn’t an unwelcome type of uncomfortable, Merlin had noticed, but the kind where he truly did want to be part of whatever sort of friendship Eggsy was offering, but just didn’t quite know how to go about doing so.

So Merlin sat there patiently, allowing Baby to form the words in his head that he needed before speaking. He wondered if the lack of music or loud noises blocking out the ringing in his ears was partly to blame for Baby’s tendency to stumble over sentences.

“I don’t want you to judge me,” he mumbled finally, his eye diverting to his lap, hands fiddling with his earbuds and glasses.

Merlin creased his brows. “We all have skeletons in our closet. No one here at Kingsman is a saint, I can assure you that. And besides,” he said, “who am I to judge?”

Baby’s eyes moved back to him, almost curiously. “I, uh,” he started, “I used to be a getaway driver. For heists and stuff. I didn’t like it…but I had a debt to pay, and it got me money. More than enough to help my foster dad. Our last heist kind of fell to shit. My fault. I was just—just so mad. These people didn’t care that they were hurting innocent bystanders. And they threatened my…my foster dad. And gir—my friend.” He paused there, and Merlin took note of the quiet anger building up the more he spoke. “I wanted them to get caught. And they did. They died, but they got caught. But then so did I. I spent five years in prison before being released on parole. Had trouble finding a job, and that’s when Tequila found me. And…now I’m here.”

Merlin didn’t know what to say. He was sure that he’d heard more words come from Baby’s mouth in the past five minutes than he had in the total time he’d been at Kingsman. He removed his sunglasses and earbuds to give Merlin his full, undivided attention, and then proceeded to tell his own life, his own story, and Merlin knew that this was a privilege he’d been given, to be trusted in such a way by this young man.

He wasn’t like Eggsy who wore his heart on his sleeve, or Roxy, who—though serious in her own right—emanated a sense of caring and understanding. At first glance, Baby was nonchalant, indifferent. But little ticks gave off a sense of mystery, like he had something to hide. The slight smirks, the blaring music, the vast collection of sunglasses, and, of course, his ability behind a wheel. There was a story beneath Baby’s air of casualness and apathy, and Merlin had just been allowed access to open the book.

“Well,” he said, clearing his throat. “We’re glad to have you here, Baby. Truly.”

Baby looked genuinely pleased at that. “I, uh, should go. Having dinner with Eggsy and Tilde.”

And with that, he put on his one lense shaded glasses, inserted his headphones, and left. Merlin looked at his now vacant chair, wondering what he’d done to make Baby feel as though he could talk to him.

—

They were in the air once more, admiring the view of rolling green hills and blue skies. Merlin had gotten them into the sky, but Baby was the one steering them, taking them over knolls and trees and the like. There was no sound but the loud hum of the engine and the whir of the propeller. It was peaceful, Merlin found, being up in the sky while candly floss clouds floated above them. It was Baby who broke the silence.

“So why do you go by Merlin and not your real name?”

“Why do you have people call you Baby?”

“Touche,” he smirked. They were quiet for a few more moments before he began speaking again.

“It was a car accident. The tinnitus,” he said into the comms. “My parents were arguing. I was listening to music in my iPod to try and block out their screaming.”

Merlin looked over at him. He was wearing the one shaded lense again, seeming to have taken to them more than the usual pairs in his collection.

“They weren’t paying attention to the road, and we slammed head first into the back of a semi,” he continued. “Lived with my foster dad ever since. Well, until that last heist. He’s living safe in a nursing home now. Never has to worry about what I do now.”

“I’m sure he’ll always be worrying about you.”

A smile ghosted Baby’s face. “He said that, too.”

They didn’t say anything else while they were in the air, and almost too soon, Merlin was landing them back on earth. He took off his headset and looked over at Baby.

“You’re getting better,” he praised. “A natural behind the wheel of any vehicle, eh?”

Baby smiled sheepishly and shook his head. “Nah, you’re just a good teacher, I guess.”

Merlin chuckled. “Alright, get out of here. You and Eggsy have plans to destroy the grounds with more of your NASCAR tricks, don’t you?”

Baby laughed as he took off his own headset and slid open his side of the cockpit. He jumped down and watched Merlin get out with less enthusiasm. “Country music, NASCAR, next you’re gonna tell me you watch football. Real football, not soccer.”

“I’m more of a baseball fan myself,” Merlin replied, walking with Baby through the hangar.

“Baseball? Really? At this rate, you’re gonna be more American than me.”

—

Later that night, Merlin was walking from the handler’s division back to his office when he saw Harry waiting outside his door.  
  
“Harry,” he greeted. “And to what do I have the pleasure of this visit?”

Harry smiled at him and gave him a kiss. “It seems Eggsy and Baby are getting a late dinner and we’re being given last minute invitations to join them.”

Merlin snorted. “Are we? How generous of them to bring two old men along.”

“Speak for yourself,” Harry bristled. “I am the picture of prime.”

Merlin smiled and shook his head, intertwining their fingers. “Come on, we don’t want to keep the boys waiting.”

Dinner was a relaxing affair, something that Merlin greatly needed after spending the entire rest of the afternoon and evening being handler for Roxy, Percival, and James. Baby was still wearing his Harry glasses, something that pleased the man immensely.

“So, you still do music mixing and stuff?” Eggsy asked while they were waiting for their food to arrive.

“No,” Baby shook his head sadly. “I haven’t been able to find a cassette recorder since Statesman found me.”

“Are you a musician, then?” Harry asked.

“I wouldn’t say that. I just liked recording interesting stuff people said and then adding beats and scratches to them. It was a really fun hobby. I kinda miss it.”

The next morning, Merlin made his way to Kingsman’s tech storage and dug up vintage walkman cassette players and records, handheld and stationary, and even found a few blank cassette tapes. He called Baby into his office later that day and presented them to him. He took of his glasses and earbuds, looking between Merlin and the old equipment in awe.

“Are you serious?” Baby said as he palmed the handheld carefully.

“Yes, quite.” Merlin cleared his throat before putting on a stern expression. “As long as you promise to not record any sensitive information. This is serious, Baby. We are an independent spy organization, and the last thing we need is word of us getting to parliament.”

Baby merely smiled and nodded. “You have my word.”

Two days later, Merlin found a cassette labeled “SENSITIVE INFORMATION” lying on his desk. He played it when he got home that night only to hear his own words being repeated back to him with various instrumentations, beats, cuts, and scratches added on top of it.

Harry laughed for twenty minutes straight.

—

“Baby will be leaving Kingsman soon,” Harry said as he and Merlin sat in bed together.

Merlin hummed in response. “Will he now? Two month go by fast, it seems.” He tried to come off as indifferent as he scrolled through documents on his tablet. In reality, Merlin truly didn’t want to see Baby go. It was nice having him around. He was already an exceptional pilot, and his friendship with Eggsy and Roxy made the three of them seem like the Musketeers. He even got on well with Harry, making him feel less self-conscious about his glasses. Not to mention the fact that he taught both Roxy and Eggsy American sign language. It became apparent that Eggsy was out of the loop when the two of them were having a conversation in front of him (they were planning a prank on him, and Eggsy had been paranoid for the rest of the week, wondering what they were going to do to him. In the end, the prank was just having Eggsy on edge when nothing at all would actually happen to him. It truly was brilliant).

And, Merlin found, through their numerous flying lessons and Baby joining him down in the handler’s division, he truly did enjoy his company, and conversations with him came easily and naturally. They exchanged music tastes, shared stories of various heists and missions they’d executed, and laughed over cups of tea and coffee. He still had no idea what it was about Baby, but Merlin cared about him. Of course, he also cared for Eggsy and Roxy, but there was something about Baby that made it a little different.

“He reminds me of you.”

Merlin crinkled his brows as he turned his attention towards Harry and set his tablet on the nightstand. “What do you mean?”

Harry smiled softly. “He’s just like you when you were that age. Appearing all stoic and serious, but beneath it all, a young man coming into a foreign country who just wanted to do good and have fun. It was the funniest thing,” he chuckled, “I walked into the library to see him prancing about to Freddie Scott, mouthing along and dancing without a care in the world. Of course when he saw me, he abruptly stopped and asked if he were needed anywhere, like I hadn’t just caught him crooning to the shelves. Almost like turning back time.”

Merlin couldn’t help the fond smile that fell on his face. He knew what Harry was referring to, of course, because Harry had caught him in the exact same room doing the exact same act many years ago, but with Dolly Parton instead. He’d even responded quite similarly.

“The boy looks up to you, Merlin,” Harry continued.

This took Merlin aback. “He told you this?”

“No, of course not, but I’m not blind, darling, and the way he spoke of and to you tonight at dinner is all the explanation needed.”

Merlin didn’t know how to take this information. _The boy looks up to you, Merlin._ Multitudes of emotions began to swell inside him. It was flattering, humbling, touching, and so many other words that he failed to come up with at the moment. And suddenly, something made sense.

“Is this how you feel about Eggsy?”

Harry smiled knowingly. “How exactly are you feeling?”

“Like…like…” Merlin struggled to find the correct words. “I don’t know. I understand where he’s coming from. I feel like I can relate to him in a way that no one else can. Like you said, two boys coming into an unfamiliar place, just trying to find where we fit. It’s almost…like I want to watch over him.” He paused before shaking his head. “But I watch over everyone, that’s ridiculous.”

Harry eyed him before speaking. “You feel like a father towards him.”

Merlin shifted nervously. “Is that a bad thing?”

“No.” Harry shook his head and placed a loving kiss on Merlin’s temple. “It means you care.”

—

It was their last flying lesson. Agent Tequila was going to arrive tomorrow morning, and he and Baby would leave later that night. Neither of them mentioned it.

As they touched down for the last time, Merlin took off his headset and nodded approvingly at Baby. “Excellent job with the landing.”

“Thanks, Merlin,” Baby smiled before putting on his now ever present half-shades.

They got out of the Ercoupe and began walking back towards the estate. When they made it to his office, Merlin turned to Baby. “I have something for you, actually.”

Baby raised a brow. Merlin took out the small box that was in his pocket and handed it to him.

“They’re hearing aids, of sorts. It’s to cancel out the ringing in your ears,” he explained as Baby opened the gift. “And I’m not saying that I’m trying to fix you. I’m not saying that you’re better off with them. They’re just options. No disability makes someone lesser.” He raised his pant leg and lowered his sock to show off his prosthesis. Baby’s eyes widened, not having seen them before.

“I didn’t—you never,” Baby sputtered. “Why do you wear socks?”

Merlin laughed. He couldn’t help it. Of all the reactions, that was the last he’d thought he’d receive. From the beginning until now, still taking him off guard. “I have a penchant for patterned socks. I didn’t see why I couldn’t continue wearing them even though my legs were blown to bits.”

This only seemed to perplex Baby more, but instead of questioning him, he pulled a cassette case out of his own pocket. “I have something for you, too.” He handed it to Merlin, who took it and eyed it curiously. It was simply labelled, “MERLIN,” and a soft smile made its way onto his face.

“Thank you,” he said. “I can’t wait to listen to it when I get home.”

Baby simply smiled back and looked down. There was a tension around them then, as though even the air knew this was one of their last goodbyes. Merlin cleared his throat and placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. “It was good having you here, Baby. I…it’s not going to be the same at Kingsman without you.”

He was never great with words. It took years before Harry could finally get him to freely talk about his emotions, and Eggsy only had an in because he continuously got him plastered. But he knew he didn’t have to tell Baby that he’d miss him, because he knew the words went unspoken.

Baby smiled in understanding and nodded his head. “I’ll miss this place.” He was silent for a few moments before he launched himself at Merlin, wrapping his arms around his middle into a tight hug. Merlin, taken by shock, took a moment before reciprocating the embrace. He closed his eyes, not allowing the emotions bubbling inside him burst out. Harry was right. Baby was like the son he never had, and having to say goodbye to him after just now realizing that hurt. Baby was also taller than him. How did he not notice that until now?

They let go and took a few steps away from each other. Baby gave him one last smile before popping in his headphones. “See you tomorrow, Merlin.”

Merlin went into his office and played the cassette. It was a mix Baby made on his own of John Denver songs, but it was also mixed with various words and phrases that Merlin had said to him in casual conversation since he gave him that recorder.

Only Harry knew, after finding him still sitting at his desk later that day listening to the tape for the nth time, if he’d actually shed a tear or two.

—

Merlin was holed up in his office, letting Nimue have full rein of the handler’s division that day. It was good training for her, he had decided, since she would be taking over as Merlin once he was no longer in the position (due to retirement if he had it his way). It wasn’t because the Statesman plane had landed an hour prior, meaning Tequila would be taking himself and Baby back to Kentucky in less than eight hours. No, it had nothing to do with that at all.

A knock sounded through his door. Merlin called for whoever it was to enter and looked to see Harry enter before closing the door behind him. He offered Merlin a small smile as he walked over to his desk and placed a kiss on the top of his head.

“Eggsy and Roxy are distraught,” he said. “Well, Eggsy is. Roxy is composed as always, though clearly sad.”

Merlin nodded and tried to ignore the clench in his chest. “They’ve gotten close the last two months. I’m sure Baby will miss them just as much.”

Harry sighed and took a hold of Merlin’s hand, gently tugging. “Come on, get up. I want to hold you and this chair does not offer the best vantage point for that.”

Merlin looked fondly at Harry and allowed the man to lead him to the couch sitting on the other side of the room. Harry wrapped his arm around him and Merlin rested his head against his shoulder.

“Have you talked to him yet today?” Harry asked softly.

Merlin shook his head slightly. “This is ridiculous,” he grumbled. “We all knew he would be leaving.”

“But that doesn’t stop the fact that his presence here will be deeply missed.”

When Merlin said nothing, Harry continued. “Particularly, by one person in this room.”

“God, it’s like I’m sending him off to uni, what is wrong with me?”

“Nothing wrong, love. Absolutely nothing wrong at all.”

—

Hours later, Harry and Merlin were back at the shop in the dining room going over which trials should and shouldn’t continue on as they prepared for recruitment (Baby vehemently disagreed with shooting a puppy, and Harry and Merlin concurred). As Merlin was standing behind Harry’s seat at the head of the table, pointing at something on one of the many documents spread out in front of them, they heard a knock against wood. The two looked up to see Tequila and Baby standing in the doorframe.

“Hello, gentlemen,” Harry greeted. “Come to say goodbye?”

Merlin remained where he stood, a mask of pleasantry hiding the ache at the idea of the young man he came to love as a son leaving.

Tequila and Baby looked at each other before turning their attention back to the two Kingsman agents and walking into the room.

“We at Statesman have a proposition, actually,” Tequila said.

A wrinkle appeared between Merlin’s brows and he knew Harry wore a matching expression.

Harry placed his elbows on the table and leaned forward. “What kind of proposition exactly?”

Tequila nudged Baby who took a step forward and cleared his throat. “If it’s alright with you, Arthur, I’d like to stay here at Kingsman. As part of your extraction team.”

Merlin didn’t even try to hide his surprise, his eyes going wide as he took in the two men before them. Surely, they couldn’t be serious? He was a Statesman candidate, training to become one of their field agents. Baby coming to Kingsman was just so they could test out training methods and tests with him, and Statesman in return would be receiving a recruit who would have more training and knowledge when he came back stateside. Baby staying at Kingsman was never part of the plan.

“And you’ve cleared this with Champ, I presume?” Harry asked.

Baby and Tequila both nodded. “Champ and I both believe that Baby’s place is here with you here at Kingsman.”

“And this is what you want, Baby?”

Baby nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“And he’s a damn good driver, Arthur,” Tequila added. “He’d be the best fuckin’ person to have behind the wheel of your extraction team.”

“Well,” Harry smiled and stood, “some paperwork will have to be done, of course, but if this is truly want you want and what Statesman is offering, then we’d be foolish to refuse.”

A smile broke out on Baby’s face. Through his one clear lense, he looked at Merlin, and Merlin couldn’t help but smile along with him.

“We’ll contact Whiskey to get the rest of your files,” Harry continued, “and then we’ll sort out your codename and all the other formalities.”

“Actually, if it’s okay, I already thought of a codename.”

Merlin raised a brow as he shared a look with Harry. It wasn’t exactly protocol, choosing your own codename, but then again, they’d been quite literally rebuilding Kingsman from the ground up, so protocol hadn’t exactly been their top priority as of late. Harry gestured for Baby to continue.

“Morgan.”

Harry stared at him perplexed. “As in…Morgan le Fay?”

“No, like Hank Morgan from _A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court_.”

Merlin held in the laugh that was threatening to escape. Cheeky little shite.

Harry, however, let out a soft chuckle and shook his head. “Clever. Very well, then. Merlin, I believe this is your position.”

Merlin smiled broadly as he stepped towards Baby and held out his hand to shake. “Welcome to Kingsman, Morgan.”

**One Month Later**

“Morgan, there’s an armoured car that’ll be coming up on the left.”

“Permission to use the targeted missiles and knock these fuckers out.”

“Permission denied, Galahad. Not far enough away from civilians.”

“Fuck, they’re gaining on us.”

“Keep shooting, Lancelot. Morgan, another armoured car coming up on the right, you’re gonna be boxed in soon, I’ll clear a path at—”

“ _Holy shit!_ ”

“ _Fuck me!_ ”

Merlin watched the live feed with baited breath as Baby shifted gears and swerved to make a sharp left turn, jumping the car off the bridge and landing the short distance below, causing their three pursuers cornering them to speed and crash into each other. If Merlin had anymore hair to lose, he’s sure these three would be the cause of it.

Baby sped away, ‘Baby Love’ by the Supremes blasting along with them. Merlin cleared his throat. “I’ll redirect the police’s comms and radios. Go to rendezvous point kestrel and take the tunnels back to HQ. Well done, you three.”

As Merlin hacked into the police’s scanners, he listened to Kingsman’s three youngest agents sing along to to Baby’s playlist as if they hadn’t just been launched midair in a cab and escaped three heavily armed vehicles. It was the oddest sense of deja vu, reminding him of years ago when he’d been handling Harry, Percival, and James in that car instead of this next generation.

After the three of them arrived back at the shop for debriefing with himself and Harry, Baby went up to Merlin excitedly, one wide eye visible, and said, “I have some ideas for the cabs.”

Merlin quirked a brow and smiled slightly. “We can discuss that after debrief. Take a seat, Morgan.”

They did end up being rather great additions and upgrades that could be made to the taxis, and Merlin couldn’t help but feel nothing but pride as Baby joined him in bringing his thoughts into reality.

—

Merlin could hear the laughter and music before he opened the door to his and Harry’s home. It was a long day in the handler’s division, with Tristan and Bors having too many close calls one after the other, and constantly needing to backtrack but still avoid being caught. What should have been a simple reconnaissance mission turned into the worst game of cat and mouse where, unfortunately, the Knights were the latter. They escaped unharmed, thank goodness, but it was still stressful nonetheless.

He opened the door to an uproar of laughter and motown blaring through Harry’s expensive speakers. He took off his coat and shoes before making his way into the living room only to find Eggsy and Baby sitting on the floor in front of the couch, Eggsy wearing Baby’s Harry-glasses and Baby signing along with the Temptations. Roxy was seated on one end of the couch and Harry on the other with Tilde sitting in between them, broad grins on each of their faces. Percival was sitting on one of the wing-backed chairs with James resting on the arm, the latter barking with laughter while the former smiled and shook his head.

There were also photo albums, tumblers filled with amber liquid, and empty martini glasses littered across the coffee table.

Eggsy lifted the glasses from his eyes and rested them on top of his head. “Hey, dad number four is here!”

“Shouldn’t you lot be saving the world somewhere?” Merlin grinned and rolled his eyes as he made his way over to Harry.

Eggsy waved him off. “Nah, not ‘til tomorrow.”

“Hey, Merlin,” Baby picked up one of the open albums on the coffee table and pointed to a picture that had yellowed with age. “You look a lot less scary with hair.”

This caused another uproar of laughter, James and Eggsy especially, and Merlin couldn’t help but laugh along with them.

Baby smiled as he looked up at him, and Merlin smiled back.

So this is the new Kingsman, he thought to himself. Not a bad start. 


End file.
